Mota-Engil nets new rail contracts in Mexico worth €1Bn

The Portuguese-Sino construction giant Mota-Engil has signed a new railway construction contract in Mexico worth around €820 million which, added to other contracts in the country worth around €200 million, brings the total to €1Bn of investment.

The new, larger contract, which will have an estimated duration of 29 months, includes the design and construction of the second section (between Apaseo el Grande and Irapuato) of the Querétaro-Irapuato railway link, at a total length of 70.7 kilometers.

In a statement to the Portuguese securities market regulator CMVM, the group led by Carlos Mota Santos stresses that the subsidiary in Mexico, which had already secured the award of the first stretch in August, ensures the execution of the entire length of the important rail link, which is part of a strategic project within the National Railway Plan of Mexico.

Mexico’s National Railway Plan focuses on modernising and expanding the rail network with a strong emphasis on reintroducing passenger services. The plan includes a US$58 billion investment over five years to build 5,645 km of new and existing railway lines, with key projects like the passenger lines connecting Mexico City to Querétaro and Pachuca, and the cross-country Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec for freight. The long-term goal is to create a sustainable, efficient, and interconnected system to reduce travel times, support economic growth, and lower the country’s carbon footprint.